On a late Saturday morning, June 20, 2026, the life of 54-year-old Bruce Allan Kasiewicz of White, Pennsylvania, was brought to an abrupt and violent end. In what should have been a routine interaction with his nephew, a dispute escalated, leaving Kasiewicz dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in a home on Low Street in Mount Pleasant Township. The Westmoreland County Coroner's Office pronounced him dead at the scene shortly after 2:30 p.m. The official cause of death was ruled a homicide.
Kasiewicz, a graduate of Connellsville High School and a timberman for the Eutsey Lumber Company, was a married man with two daughters and three grandchildren. He was known to enjoy the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing.
The man charged with his death is his 45-year-old nephew, Joshua Aaron Lowry. The incident appears to have stemmed from a long-standing landlord-tenant dispute, as Lowry had been living in the Low Street home, owned by his uncle and aunt, for several years and had reportedly not paid rent for nearly a year. Kasiewicz had begun the eviction process, with a move-out date set for July 5. On the morning of the shooting, Lowry himself called 911 to report that he had shot his uncle. He claimed to have acted in self-defense, stating that he was awakened by his uncle banging on his bedroom window. Lowry alleged that after letting his uncle inside, Kasiewicz appeared in his doorway wearing latex gloves and brandishing a small wooden oar, leading Lowry to believe his life was in danger. It was then that Lowry fired a single round from a muzzleloader, striking his uncle in the chest.
Despite Lowry's claims of self-defense, investigators found inconsistencies between his statement and the evidence at the scene. Police noted that Lowry's bedroom showed no signs of a struggle, and he had no injuries consistent with a physical altercation. Authorities also reported that Lowry did not attempt any life-saving measures after shooting his uncle. Lowry was subsequently arrested and charged with criminal homicide. He is being held without bail in the Westmoreland County Jail. A preliminary hearing was held on July 1, 2026, during which a homicide charge was held for further prosecution. Testimony from state troopers revealed that a bullet was recovered from a bedroom wall and that a 3-foot wooden oar was found near Kasiewicz's feet. The case continues to move through the legal system, with the initial evidence presented casting doubt on the self-defense claim and pointing towards a tragic outcome of a familial and financial dispute.
